


Reliance

by Redqueenswrath



Category: Doctor Who
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-09
Updated: 2016-04-09
Packaged: 2018-06-01 06:29:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6504484
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Redqueenswrath/pseuds/Redqueenswrath





	1. Chapter 1

Amy stalked into the control room, irritation seething from every pore. She scanned the room, spotting the Doctor's ridiculous tweed jacket hanging from the jump seat, his shoes tossed carelessly nearby. His bare feet poked out from under the console. Was he... No. He certainly wasn't WHISTLING. No way. "Why is he so damned happy?! We've been sitting in the Void for a WEEK!" The redhead thought, scowling as the Doctor wiggled his toes in joy as he tinkered. Finally, she'd had enough.

"DOCTOR!" There was a loud thud, followed by a string of what could only be obscenities in Gallifreyan. He scooted out from under the console of his beloved ship, rubbing his forehead. "Ah, Pond! Didn't see you there. Just finishing up the repairs!" He petted the console, and the lights dipped briefly in response. If anything, the affectionate display between the thousand-year-old alien and his semi-sentient timeship just irritated Amy even further. She resisted the urge to kick him as he lay back on the clear glass floor, a smug smile plastered on his face.

"So we'll be moving on soon, then?" The Doctor nodded enthusiastically, oblivious to the edge of annoyance in her voice. "Oh, yes! I just had to adjust the temporal gravitational wave dampeners and fix the relay on the dimensional matrix and presto! Easy enough, once I figured it out. This old girl is ready to rock! Ok. Adding that to the list of things to never say again." Amy's scowl lessened a smidge. The Doctor arched an eyebrow.

"Getting bored of just floating around, Pond?" Amy huffed and refused to meet his eyes. He smiled widely, hopping to his feet. "I've got just the place for you! Oberian Three, home of the singing trees! Really, they sing! Each species has a different song, and they communicate using it, like space whales!" He faltered slightly at Amy's uninterested scowl, then seemed to hit on another idea.

"Ok, how about planet Qua'thar? They've got a species of cat that's six feet tall at the shoulder, and they have four tails! And purple fur, can you imagine?" The ginger looked mildly more interested, so the Doctor played his trump card. "They've also got one of the best shopping bazaars this side of the Andromeda galaxy." He grinned triumphantly when Amy immediately perked up. "Oh, alright then! Don't twist my arm, Raggedy Man!" She darted off towards the corridor. "Dress for desert!" He yelled after her.

Amy flew into her room and began tearing through her closet in search of something to wear. She regarded a gorgeous purple top before discarding it. Too hot for that, even if it WAS sinfully low-cut. She considered and tossed aside a dozen different things before settling on a creamy spaghetti strap dress that fell to her knees. It was soft, light, and showed off legs that went on for miles. She paired it with a set of dark leather sandals that wrapped up her thighs like an ancient Greek. She paused long enough to slather sunscreen on her pale skin before regarding herself in the mirror. She grinned and looked up at the ceiling, addressing the TARDIS "Whatcha think, Sexy?" A pleased hum, almost a purr, echoed through her mind. Amy smiled in agreement and strode out of her room. She met the Doctor in the console room. He'd put his shoes back on, but left off the jacket. With his sleeves rolled up and his absurd hair flopping wildly, he looked like a little kid as he darted around the center console, pulling levers and pushing buttons.

"Amelia! Push that big green button over there!" He jerked his head at said button. Amy grinned and slammed her fist down on it, laughing happily as the ship shook and jerked. She clung to the rail as they whirled through space, the Doctor's happy "Geronimo!" echoing throughout the ship.

They landed with a resounding thud, shaking so hard that both the Doctor and Amy were tossed to the floor. He leapt to his feet like he was spring loaded and darted for the door. He was halfway outside before he realized that Amy wasn't following him. He spun around, his eyes landing on his companion, who was sprawled out and trying to regain her bearings. He positively squeeked when he noticed just how high her dress had ridden up. Amy watched in amusement as he turned so red that even his ears glowed. The Time Lord coughed and turned away, trying to cover his embarrassment. Amy stood up and marched past him, still giggling.  
"Oi! Pond! Wait!" The Doctor leapt after her, catching her hand in his. Together, they hiked towards the mess of tents in distance, shaded by a large grove of palm trees. The sand under their feet was smooth and crystalline, and it shimmered with a faint lavender hue. Approaching the tents, Amy's nose was assaulted by the smells of food, spices, and hundreds of perfumes. She stared at the throngs of aliens. Some were humanoid, others decidedly less so. The pair dodged out of the way as a twelve foot tall creature with tentacles for hair walked by. The Doctor laughed as his companion spun in a circle, trying to take it all in at once. He gently tapped her chin.

"Close your mouth Amelia, you'll catch flies." She stuck her tongue out at him. "Where to first? There's book stores and taverns and cafes and perfume shops and clothes..... Oh and there's this FANTASTIC little vendor who sells every flavor of ice cream you can imagine! Well, it's close to ice cream, anyways. It's milk based and frozen. Weeeell, not quite MILK, you see. Not from cows. They don't have cows this far from your solar system. They're more like a six-legged sheep with paws instead of hooves and three sets of horns and they don't bleat so much as bark, but it's the same idea." Amy chuckled in amusement at his ramblings and pointed at an interesting little tent, which proclaimed "MURT'S SUNDIALS AND SUNDRIES" in bright orange letters. At that moment, a series of pops and bangs sounded from inside and a shower of sparks shot out of the top. The Doctor nodded enthusiastically, crowing "Perfect!" as he shot towards the door flap. Amy ran after him.

By the time she caught up, The Doctor was elbow deep in a bin of scrap parts, grease smudged across his nose. Amy perused a rack of books, running her fingers across the dusty spines as she picked a few. The wrinkled old shopkeeper called from across the room "If you two youngsters need anything, just yell!" The Doctor grunted and delved deeper into his bin, muttering incoherently as he looked at each item before tossing it aside.  
"Broken....broken.... Hairdryer.... Why is it ALWAYS hairdryers? Why not a waffle iron or a telescope?" Amy shook her head and went back to her books. She added a tome with a bright red cover, embossed with the image of a dragon-like creature, to her growing pile. The shopkeeper sidled up to her, surveying her choices. His eye (just one, Amy noted) settled on the most recent addition.

"Ah, a fine choice! A local legend in fact, about a mighty Drake who guards the entrance to The Well of Souls. It is said that anyone who defeats the Drake and drinks from the Well shall be granted immortality." The Doctor's head popped up at that. "Oooh, I love myths! Amelia, I want to read that when you're done!" The shopkeeper shook his head.

"No, sonny, it's a legend, not a myth. The Well of Souls is real! However, the entrance has been lost to time. It is said that only the Brotherhood of the Drake knows where it resides now, and no one has seen one of them in generations. Every few years, someone goes looking for the lost temple, but few return. The desert is a treacherous mistress." The Doctor's brows knitted in consternation. "What about the missing people?"

"My son, people die in the desert all the time. Dehydration, chasms of sharp rocks, deadly creatures.... It's not exactly a paradise. The poor souls probably got lost out in the shifting sands, and their bones lay bleached on the dunes." Amy glanced at The Doctor. He had that expression again- the one that meant they were about to find themselves knickers-deep in some sort of trouble.


	2. Chapter 2

The Doctor purchased the red book and hauled Amy out of the shop, a determined scowl plastered on his face. "Doctor, slow down! What's so important about that book? It's a legend! Just a story! We don't even have a place to start looking!"

The Doctor turned to her. "Amelia Pond, NOTHING is just a story. Even the wildest myths and fables have a grain of truth in them. Hercules? Not a god, but a very mortal warrior, determined to make a name for himself. Atlantis? A real island that was accidentally wiped off the face of the Earth by an alien who crashed there and his ship exploded. That story got blown way out of proportion...." Amy stopped dead in her tracks and stared. "YOU? YOU destroyed Atlantis?" The Time Lord shuffled his feet, looking shamefaced. "It was an accident! Really, it was! I sort of miswired a part of the time rotor and instead of landing in Rome, 500 A.D., I ended up in the middle of a volcano. It set off a chain reaction and sunk the island." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Anyways, back on topic. This 'legend' has to have some truth to it, otherwise people wouldn't go chasing after it so much. Look around you. These people aren't stupid. They live in a desert-they know how to survive in it. They wouldn't just get lost and die out in the sands. Something out there is trapping them, and we're going to find out why." Amy nodded. She just hoped that they didn't end up 'lost', too.

The Doctor set out for the TARDIS. It took only minutes to find the familiar blue box, but by the time they stepped inside, Amy was soaked in sweat. The third sun had risen over the northern horizon, and the temperature was climbing rapidly. Almost immediately, the TARDIS kicked the comfort controls into overdrive and cooled the control room down. The ginger patted the wall gratefully.

"So what's the plan then, Doctor?" He smiled faintly, taking in her somewhat bedraggled state. "First, Pond, you're going to go rest. We have a long night ahead of us. I'm going to the library to see if I have any other references to this 'legend'. We'll leave when it gets dark. Traveling in a desert by day is suicide, even on your planet with it's one little sun. This one has three. You'd be a lobster in no time!" Amy swatted his shoulder and set off for her room, intent on a shower before her nap.  
***  
One long shower and an even longer nap later, Amy emerged from her room. She was dressed in a long sleeved, pale beige top and matching pants that billowed around her ankles. The outfit was made of some strange material that felt like silk and somehow was cool to the touch. She'd found the unfamiliar clothes just inside of her bedroom door after she woke up, along with a pair of soft leather boots that reached just below her knees. A yellow sticky note had been placed conspicuously on top of the bundle. "I thought you would appreciate some of the local's clothes for our excursion" the note proclaimed in very tidy handwriting. Amy noticed a much smaller word at the very bottom. She looked closer- "peel". She pulled the note up, revealing a second one. "The whole getup is made from the hair and hide of a local animal, the ty'lia. Sort of a goat-like beastie. Well, it's goat-like if you ignore the second head (peel)". Amy obeyed, chuckling softly. "The cloth naturally keeps the wearer cooler in the heat, and the leather can't be punctured by any of the" the note cut off abruptly. "Run out of room, Doctor?" She laughed and lifted the note. "Yes, I did. Need to find bigger stickies. Anyways, the local poisonous critters can't get through the boots. Console room, pronto!"

Amy jogged down the corridor, still chuckling. The Doctor was waiting for her, tapping his foot impatiently. "How you humans sleep so much, I'll never know." Amy just rolled her eyes.  
"Did you find anything?" She asked. He nodded enthusiastically.

"Well, there's no record of the EXACT location of the Well, but there's lots of hints scattered throughout history and myth. It's supposedly in an oasis, which narrows it down a little. There's fifteen known oasis, all of which have existed for thousands of years. Furthermore, most of the legends mention a large river, bringing us down to eight possibilities along the only two rivers on this planet worthy of being called more than a trickle. Three texts make note of large crystalline deposits to the west of the Well, and those are rare, dropping us to three possible locations!" He paused to breathe, beaming triumphantly. Amy whooped.

"Fantastic! We can just pop by and check those and we should find it quick!" The Doctor shook his head. "Unfortunately, it's not quite that simple. I can get the TARDIS to one of the locations, but the other two are surrounded by a strange magnetic field. The TARDIS can't fly in them. We'll have to walk." Amy groaned.

"Alright then, let's get going." She huffed. The Doctor punched in the location of the first oasis and darted around the console, flicking switches and pulling levers. Amy hung on for dear life, her backside still sore from the previous rough landing. The TARDIS landed with a soft thump, and the pair stepped out into a gorgeous little valley. Trees and flowers surrounded them, pushing in from all sides. Amelia could hear the rush of a river off to her left. The Doctor pushed his way through the mat of vines and branches towards the river. Amy took his hand, and together they forged ahead. The foliage cleared rapidly, leaving the pair standing on the sandy riverbank. Through the trees on all sides, Amy could see the desert. The Doctor sighed in disappointment.

"This isn't it. It's far too small." Amy patted his hand. "Well, on to the next one!" The Doctor lead them out of the oasis and into the desert. Amy gasped as she looked up- more stars than she'd ever seen from a planet's surface wheeled overhead. The Doctor smiled indulgently. "There's no street lights, Pond. No billboards, no search lights, no cars, nothing. The native's homes are lit only by candlelight, and they've been out for hours. The moons haven't risen yet. No light pollution on Qua'thar. And look!" He pointed to a star just above the northern horizon. "That little star there, the reddish one.... That's Sol. That's your little solar system, with its nine planets and 7.046 billion inhabitants, just taking their baby steps out into space." Amy smiled. "Well, the light you're seeing right now is from millions of years ago. If we looked through the TARDIS telescope, we'd see dinosaurs from the late Cretaceous period. Tyrannosaurus Rex and triceratops and velociraptor, all stomping around what will one day be downtown London."  
Amy poked him in the ribs. "Doctor, you're rambling again!" He frowned at her, rubbing the imaginary sore spot before reaching for her hand.

"Fine, fine. History lesson later. The next oasis is only a mile or so away. Onwards!" He marched off into the desert, Amelia in tow. The oasis they had just visited had receded into a tiny speck in the distance by the time the duo summitted a sand dune and caught sight of the twisting river and its patch of trees. The Doctor took off at a sprint, slipping and sliding down the mound of sand. Amy laughed as he slid the last ten feet on his arse. He bounced to his feet, shaking sand from his jacket and looking very much like an irked cat. Amy caught up and dusted some sand from his unruly mop of hair, still giggling despite the Timelord glowering at her. "Ok, Oncoming Sulk, let's go have a look." He stalked off, grumbling under his breath about sand in uncomfortable places and rude gingers.

Stepping through the trees, Amy peered around at the gorgeous scene in front of her. The Doctor whipped out his sonic screwdriver and spun in a circle, apparently taking a reading. He frowned, passing it back and forth over the same region like a metal detector. Amy set off in the direction he was pointing the device. Pushing through the dense foliage, she very nearly fell into a crumbling well. "DOOOOOOCTOOOOORRRR!!!" She shrieked, desperately holding on to the worn rock that formed the deteriorated side. He came crashing through the brush and dragged her out of the pit.  
"Just once, ONCE, I'd like to have a companion who gets the whole 'don't wonder off' thing!" He grunted, hauling the redhead to her feet. Amy stuck her tongue out at him. The Doctor ignored her, focusing on the crumbling well. He kicked a piece of stone through the gap in the wall, listening to it bounce its way down the shaft. There was no splash when it finally hit bottom. His eyes lit up. "Amelia, you brilliant girl, I think you found it!" He twiddled the sonic and the light from the tip increased, then pointed it down the shaft like a torch. Twenty feet down, the dry well ended with a sandy floor. He could just make out what looked like a tunnel hewn into the side of the shaft. The pair shared an identical grin.

"Shall we?" He asked, producing a length of rope from a pocket. Amy threw her head back and laughed. "Bigger on the inside, huh?" He nodded and tied one end around a nearby tree. While he was distracted, she crept up behind him. "Is that all that's bigger on the inside?" The Doctor sputtered and turned about fifteen shades of pink, gaping like a fish out of water. "Oi, ginge! Behave!" She just laughed harder. He shook his head and threw the loose end of rope down the well. "Geronimo!" He hopped off the edge, bouncing his way down the well shaft. He landed softly. "Come on, Amelia!" Amy slid down the rope after him. He caught her at the bottom, grinning like a maniac. Amy reached for his hand, and together they set off down the dark tunnel.


	3. Chapter 3

The Doctor held his sonic out in front of them, casting a dim green light on the otherwise dark walls. The passage twisted and turned, but never split off. They hiked together through the gloom, the only sound was their soft footsteps. After some time, the Doctor paused. He looked suspicious. "What is it, Doctor?" She whispered.

"It's too quiet.... By this point, we should have seen something. A guard, a booby trap...." Amy slapped a hand over his mouth to silence him. "Listen!" She mouthed. He cocked his head to the side, a distant rumble barely meeting his ears. He grinned manically, his eyes shining with excitement and adrenaline. The pair crept on, and soon the passageway opened up into a massive cavern. In the dim light cast by the sonic screwdriver, Amy couldn't make out the ceiling or the far walls.

The Doctor eased forward, trying to find another passage. He stepped out into the middle of the cave, holding the sonic as high above his head as he could reach. A sudden gust of wind ruffled his hair. "Doctor.... We're miles underground.... Why is there a breeze?" Amy murmured, her voice echoing off the rock walls.

"Amelia. Do. NOT. Move." He hissed, peering up at the gloom. A large glob of something slimy landed on his shoulder. "Oh, hell....." Above him was a gaping, drooling scaly maw.  
"RUN, Amy!" He bellowed, darting towards the wall opposite where they had come in. He dodged behind a pile of rocks just as the massive lizard's teeth snapped closed, narrowly missing his head. He peered out from his hiding spot and caught a glimpse of red hair behind a natural column of rock. "I need a distraction!" He yelled to her as he sized up the Drake.

"What do you want me to do, dress in drag and do the hula!?" She yelled back. The Doctor had to bite back a laugh- only Amy would quote Disney in the middle of a battle with a prehistoric dragon. She growled in frustration and pulled her hair, then leapt out from her pillar.  
"Oi! Godzilla! Over here!" She sprinted towards another column, the roaring beast hot on her heels. The Doctor adjusted his sonic, vaulted over the pile of rubble and raced towards the Drake. Just as the dragon wheeled to face him, he leapt onto it's back. The creature roared in frustration and writhed frantically, trying to rid itself of its passenger. The Doctor climbed farther up it's neck.

"Nighty night!" He pointed the screwdriver at the back of the beast's skull, and the mighty dragon collapsed into a heap. The Doctor leapt clear as the head hit the ground. Amy gaped at him. "All reptilians have a weak point at the spot where the spine and skull join. A little blast of energy, and BOOM! Out like a light!" The Timelord looked altogether too smug. Amy carefully stepped over the snoring Drake.

The pair walked on, following the passageway even deeper into the ground. Suddenly, The Doctor stopped short, causing Amy to crash into him. "Amelia, stay here. I mean it." His expression clouded over. Something in his tone brooked no argument, and the redhead slipped into a small alcove in the rock. The Doctor pushed on, the dim light from the sonic screwdriver fading rapidly. Amy was left standing in almost total darkness. She waved her hand in front of her nose and realized that she could see it, if only just. As her eyes adjusted, she noticed a very faint light coming from further up the tunnel. An ice cold wave of fear gripped her. Something wasn't right. She stepped out from her hidy-hole and crept towards the light.

As she snuck down the passage, she began to notice a humming monotone sound. She furrowed her brow, trying to remember where she had heard that sound before. It reminded her of some old church chant. The icy chill returned as the thought clicked in her mind. A man screamed from down the hall. Amy froze, muffling a whimper with her hand- it was the Doctor! Nothing was going to stop her now. Amy took off down the passage at almost suicidal speed, given her inability to see clearly in the gloom. The passage opened up into another chamber and the redhead skidded to a halt. She ducked behind some sort of statue. There, in the center of the cavern, was a group of hooded figures. In the very middle was a stone slab, and tied to it was the Doctor!


	4. Chapter 4

One of the figures placed his (her? Amy couldn't see any features beneath the hood) hands on the Doctor's temples. He thrashed against his bonds, howling in pain around the gag in his mouth. A golden glow appeared around the robed figure's hands, growing brighter and brighter as the chanting rose in volume. Amy stood paralyzed by fear as her friend screamed, his face twisting. The figure at the Doctor's head spoke, it's voice deep and gravely. "We take your life to extend ours, your youth to make us young, your knowledge to make us stronger." The Doctor yelled again as the monk spoke. The group of figures threw back their hoods, revealing withered, terribly aged faces. The glow from the Doctor grew to encompass them, and slowly their hair turned from grey to dark, eyes clouded by age became bright, and skin regained its youthful color. The Doctor's eyes locked on Amy, and she could stand it no longer. Heedless of the danger, she lunged forward, crashing into the lead monk full tilt. There was a blinding flash, and her vision went black.

 

Amelia slowly came to. All around her were the monks, apparently still unconscious. She scrambled to her feet, her eyes snapping to the stone altar. "Oh, no...." She whispered. On the cold slab, where her friend had just lay, were the Doctor's jacket, trousers, and shoes. The manacles were still positioned where his wrists and ankles had been. It was as if his body had simply vanished. She approached the altar, fighting the urge to cry. He was gone....

Hanging her head in misery, she didn't notice the movement beneath the jacket at first. A soft whimper drew her gaze back to the pile of clothes. She nearly leapt out of her skin when the jacket moved again. Hesitantly, she reached out and pulled the tweed away. A tiny baby with a mop of brown hair lay on the cold stone, as naked as the day he was born.

"Oh, you have GOT to be kidding me." She regarded the little boy skeptically. "DOCTOR?" She asked. The baby cooed at her. Amy poked at the infant, who shrieked in indignation. "This can't be happening..." She thought, eyeing the baby skeptically. Around her, the monks began to stir. She scooped up the baby, clothes and all, and beat a hasty retreat down the tunnel.

Finally out in the open air again, Amy paused to catch her breath. The desert had grown considerably cooler, and the infant in her arms protested. Amy wrapped him in the comically large button down shirt, and he cuddled in until nothing but his eyes and nose poked out. Amelia chuckled despite her shock at the entire situation. What was she going to do? The baby flailed with one tiny hand, brushing her temple with his chubby fingers. Amy jumped in fright as a sensation not unlike an electric shock passed across where he had touched.

"Doctor, behave!" She scowled at him, receiving a pleased gurgle in response. Amy shifted him to her other shoulder and started trudging up the sand dune that the pair had crossed earlier that night. Spotting the first oasis in the distance, she set out. Soon, the tiny baby was asleep on her shoulder and drooling. Amy stroked his hair soothingly, lost in thought.


End file.
